From what little I saw, it looked like the white supremacists were holding a rally or protest and a twenty-year-old boy drove a car into them, killing three and injuring scores. From Alan's comments, I take it there's more to the story than that. Guess I'm going to be forced to read coverage more thorough than the brief paragraph on my local TV station's web site. Darn. I hate that...actually having to get information. :P
Okay, I've read the BBC's coverage [Click] and the situation is more complicated than I was initially lead to believe. Channel 40 didn't get it right and my sister, who attempted to tell me about it, didn't get it right.
Here's the thing. In this country we have something called freedom of speech and of assembly. And like it or not, that right applies to everybody, not just people we happen to agree with. The KKK et al have a constitutional right to hold a peaceful rally. People opposed to the KKK et al have a constitutional right to hold a peaceful counter-rally. Violence is the dealbreaker. From the article, it looks like there was violence on both sides, though it does not state who started it. Maybe nobody knows who started it.
What is known is that someone from the white supremacist side drove a car into the counter-rally and killed a woman. That kid is the only person clearly and unambiguously guilty of a crime, whether you want to call that crime vehicular homicide or domestic terrorism. The WS who held their stupid little march did nothing morally or legally wrong simply by holding it. Yes, they are the scum of the earth and abysmally stupid to boot, but if we value freedom and the rule of Constitutional law, we must not only admit but defend their right to assemble and speak.
As I see it, what matters is that there were violent clashes between protesters and counter-protesters. It doesn't matter a pair of fetted dingos' kidneys who the protesters and counter protesters were. The only other salient point is that a boy (not a man, a twenty-year-old boy) from one group deliberately drove his car into the other group, killing one and injuring many more. Who the groups were and why they were protesting is irrelevant!
But if I say this in public, on Facebook, say, I'll get bloody slaughtered. And yet, it's such a simple concept. What is wrong with people?
What REALLY pisses me off is that if black people without weapons march peacefully the gd police are there in RIOT GEAR. A white Nazi group armed with torches, weapons and clubs? Where are the police? Oh, about a block away from it all. Just standing around and watching.
Why, sho, y'all. Dem dare white boys is just out fo a good time. But dose nigras, ya can't neva tell nohow what dey's a-gonna do. Yave gotta watch 'em, son. Don't neva tuhn yer back on a nigra. *shakes head* Ya's got a lot ta luhn 'bout livi' in the South if ya don' even know that!
P.S.: Bill was correct to gather that I am not pleased with California's top-two voting system. I am also not pleased by the way cities (at least in the Central Valley--not sure if it is the same everywhere) are cut up into pieces that are attached to large rural areas so the cities' votes are diluted and their voters disenfranchised. It is slightly better than before, but the Democratic Party fought vigorously in favor of the existing gerrymanders that keep Republicans safe in this area. At least we can still cast a protest vote for President, but presented with two stinker candidates for lower offices, the only protest available is not to vote.
Don't blame addicts for America's opioid crisis. Here are the real culprits[Click] “This is an almost uniquely American crisis…The US consumes more than 80% of the global opioid pill production even though it has less than 5% of the world’s population. Over the past 20 years, one federal institution after another lined up behind the drug manufacturers’ false claims of an epidemic of untreated pain in the US. They seem not to have asked why no other country was apparently suffering from such an epidemic…” A personal, subjective impression from a part of the country where opioids have historically been far less popular than elsewhere: I strongly suspect that many opioid-associated deaths are not opiate-caused deaths. I doubt that the statistics are carefully gathered or carefully interpreted.
Hi guys,
ReplyDeleteFrom what little I saw, it looked like the white supremacists were holding a rally or protest and a twenty-year-old boy drove a car into them, killing three and injuring scores. From Alan's comments, I take it there's more to the story than that. Guess I'm going to be forced to read coverage more thorough than the brief paragraph on my local TV station's web site. Darn. I hate that...actually having to get information. :P
Okay, I've read the BBC's coverage [Click] and the situation is more complicated than I was initially lead to believe. Channel 40 didn't get it right and my sister, who attempted to tell me about it, didn't get it right.
DeleteHere's the thing. In this country we have something called freedom of speech and of assembly. And like it or not, that right applies to everybody, not just people we happen to agree with. The KKK et al have a constitutional right to hold a peaceful rally. People opposed to the KKK et al have a constitutional right to hold a peaceful counter-rally. Violence is the dealbreaker. From the article, it looks like there was violence on both sides, though it does not state who started it. Maybe nobody knows who started it.
What is known is that someone from the white supremacist side drove a car into the counter-rally and killed a woman. That kid is the only person clearly and unambiguously guilty of a crime, whether you want to call that crime vehicular homicide or domestic terrorism. The WS who held their stupid little march did nothing morally or legally wrong simply by holding it. Yes, they are the scum of the earth and abysmally stupid to boot, but if we value freedom and the rule of Constitutional law, we must not only admit but defend their right to assemble and speak.
As I see it, what matters is that there were violent clashes between protesters and counter-protesters. It doesn't matter a pair of fetted dingos' kidneys who the protesters and counter protesters were. The only other salient point is that a boy (not a man, a twenty-year-old boy) from one group deliberately drove his car into the other group, killing one and injuring many more. Who the groups were and why they were protesting is irrelevant!
But if I say this in public, on Facebook, say, I'll get bloody slaughtered. And yet, it's such a simple concept. What is wrong with people?
Okay, I posted on FB, based on what I wrote here. We'll see what response it gets. At least I remembered to post it to friends, not to public!
DeleteWell said!
Deletehttp://reverepress.com/news/new-evidence-emerges-charlottesville-police-alarming/
ReplyDeleteWhat REALLY pisses me off is that if black people without weapons march peacefully the gd police are there in RIOT GEAR. A white Nazi group armed with torches, weapons and clubs? Where are the police? Oh, about a block away from it all. Just standing around and watching.
Why, sho, y'all. Dem dare white boys is just out fo a good time. But dose nigras, ya can't neva tell nohow what dey's a-gonna do. Yave gotta watch 'em, son. Don't neva tuhn yer back on a nigra. *shakes head* Ya's got a lot ta luhn 'bout livi' in the South if ya don' even know that!
DeleteTime For Republicans to Leap From the Boat[Click] David Frum
ReplyDeleteWikipedia: David Frum[Click] (In case anyone desires a refresher—I did).
A Chilling Theory on Trump’s Nonstop Lies[Click] Manchurian President, anyone?[Click] Synopsis of the (original) movie http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0056218/synopsis?ref_=tt_stry_pl>here.[Click]
—Alan
Boy, I sure mucked up that last compound link! Will try again shortly.
Delete--Alan
Here goes:
DeleteA Chilling Theory on Trump’s Nonstop Lies[Click]
Manchurian President, anyone?[Click]
Synopsis of the (original) movie here.[Click]
—Alan
P.S.: Bill was correct to gather that I am not pleased with California's top-two voting system. I am also not pleased by the way cities (at least in the Central Valley--not sure if it is the same everywhere) are cut up into pieces that are attached to large rural areas so the cities' votes are diluted and their voters disenfranchised. It is slightly better than before, but the Democratic Party fought vigorously in favor of the existing gerrymanders that keep Republicans safe in this area. At least we can still cast a protest vote for President, but presented with two stinker candidates for lower offices, the only protest available is not to vote.
Thanks for the Mother Jones link, Alan. Chilling indeed!
DeleteRather a spooky correspondence, I must say. Coincidence, or something more? The effect is much the same no matter what the explanation.
DeleteAlan
A striking factoid:
ReplyDeleteDon't blame addicts for America's opioid crisis. Here are the real culprits[Click] “This is an almost uniquely American crisis…The US consumes more than 80% of the global opioid pill production even though it has less than 5% of the world’s population. Over the past 20 years, one federal institution after another lined up behind the drug manufacturers’ false claims of an epidemic of untreated pain in the US. They seem not to have asked why no other country was apparently suffering from such an epidemic…” A personal, subjective impression from a part of the country where opioids have historically been far less popular than elsewhere: I strongly suspect that many opioid-associated deaths are not opiate-caused deaths. I doubt that the statistics are carefully gathered or carefully interpreted.
—Alan
VERY interesting!
Delete